Papita Khasu Virtual Artist Residency
Papita Khasu is a virtual artist residency program designed to provide talented emerging Malaŵian visual artists with the financial and programmatic support to create new works over a period of two months. By providing unrestricted funding to local talent, artists are empowered to prioritise their practice, expand their portfolios, and experiment with the limits of possibility.
Papita Khasu is founded by Malaŵian visual artist and collector, kyle malanda.
WHO CAN APPLY:
Emerging Malaŵian visual artists with strong portfolios who wish to create new works. These works may be experimental, part of an existing body of work, or an entirely new body of work.
RESIDENCY PERIOD:
Two months: January-February 2027
APPLICATION CRITERIA:
- Citizenship, permanent residence, refugee or asylum-seeker status in Malaŵi with active participation in the local arts and culture scene
- 18+ years old
- Strong visual arts portfolio
- Strong professional interest in the arts (this is not just a hobby for you)
- Visual arts mediums only (painting, photography, fibres/textiles, film, printmaking, woodwork, sculpture, metal etc)
- Applicant must not be enrolled in an academic program
WHAT WE OFFER:
- MWK500,000 materials stipend
- MWK1 million living stipend (MWK500,000/month)
SELECTION PROCESS:
- Call for applications opens | 21 September 2026 12:00AM Malaŵi Time
- Call for applications closes | 18 October 2026 11:59PM Malaŵi Time
- Shortlisted applicants interviewed | Late October
- Recipient announced | Early November
- Residency begins | January 2027
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
- Originality and a unique point of view. We automatically reject portfolios that include reproductions of other people’s works (eg anime/TV characters and other copyrighted works. AI-generated or AI-assisted works will be not considered.)
- A demonstrated commitment to the arts. We want to hear from artists who take their practice seriously and can commit to 2 months of artwork production
- Openness, curiosity, and rigour. We expect artists to challenge themselves and are especially keen to hear from artists who think outside the box and are taking, or would like to take, experimental approaches to their practice
CONTENT OF APPLICATION:
- Artist Statement
- Title & short description of the proposal
- Letter of motivation explaining professional interest and ambition in visual arts (why this residency and why now?)
- CV and portfolio
All applications must be submitted in Chicheŵa or English.
EXPECTATIONS TOWARDS THE ARTIST:
- Creation of new works
- 1 community engagement event (workshop, open studio, skill-sharing class, artist talk etc)
- Donation of 1 work to the program’s collection
- Engagement on social media (show works in progress, tag residency etc)
- Reflection report
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an application fee and/or residency fees?
- No. Application to Papita Khasu is free. There are no residency fees.
I am a performing artist (musician, dancer etc), student, artist duo/collective, can I apply?
- No. Our program is only open to visual artists at this time. Applicants may not be enrolled in any educational program at the start of the residency. We currently only support individual artists.
I am a permanent resident, refugee, or asylum-seeker living in Malaŵi, can I apply?
- Yes.
I’m a self-taught artist/I didn’t go to school for art, can I apply?
- Yes, you don’t need to have formal training in the arts as long as you have a comprehensive portfolio to demonstrate commitment to your practice.
I want to spend my time doing research, can I apply?
- No. Papita Khasu is a production-focused artist residency, meaning that artists are expected to create new works.
How do I wow the selection committee?
- Be original. Be interesting. Be bold. Be yourself.
What happens to the work created during the residency?
- All work created during the residency belongs to the artist, however, artists must donate one work, new or existing, to our art collection.
Will you provide a studio space?
- No, you will work from your home studio.
Will you give feedback if my application is not successful?
- Yes.